I wanna buy a bunch of 1000-series Monster Cable Instrument and Speaker Cables w/Speakons. Does anybody out there amongst the Alembic Collective know where to get them for LESS THAN MSRP and with FREE Shipping? It sounds like a no-brainer, but there are a lot of greedy merchants out there. Most of them only stock the lower-line cables and have a hit-and-miss inventory at best.

NOTE: I realize there are other brands out there, some that are better. Unfortunately, I'm not interested in making my own cables, nor do I want something relatively obscure that will be hard to replace. I want Monster strictly for the lifetime unlimited guarantee. When you're paying $100-plus for a stupid cable, you want that replacement deal, LOL! Cables go bad regardless of OEM: they might as well come with a replacement guarantee, LOL!

For Monster cables - I would start by looking on eBay. There are dealers there that regularly post cables, and you can contact them for prices on things they don't have listed. Since the warranty is so good, it doesn't really matter where you get the cable from, or even if it is used.

In terms of "real" dealers, I happened to walk into a well-known Seattle dealer several months ago while they were running a sale. They had a handful of the older cables in a half price bin, and a sign up with either 25% or 33% off on all in stock cable. I haven't tried ordering any Monster from our favorite Orlando dealer, but I suspect that they would try to put together a very fair deal. I don't think you can ever go wrong with either of those dealers.

If you're buying a bunch, you may also get some special considerations. Look at the total package deal. Maybe they'll throw in $100 in bass strings with your order if they can't discount the cable - there are many ways to skin a cat. Think about what other items you might be looking for that would allow the dealer some room to maneuver around Monster's pricing restrictions if they are so inclined.

Unless you are in a particular hurry, you may have to wait a couple weeks to get the best price from a dealer that doesn't have everything you're looking for in stock.

One last note. I am told that almost any commercially-made Speakon speaker cable is overpriced. There is no soldering involved, so the best bet is to pick up a couple of connectors and some raw cable and screw them together yourself. This is especially true if you're looking for the cheapskate crown. Supposedly, your typical 6-10' cable for a bass amp would run under $10. I need a couple of these cables myself and am about to seek out a source. I need two Speakon-Speakon cables and two Speakon-1/4" cables using 12 ga wire, probably all about 10'. If any of the club members makes these things, or is interested in acquiring some, we might be able to do even better in quantity. I would never do this for instrument cables, but it seems like the right thing to do for Speakons.

As an audiophile, I'm used to ridiculously expensive cables...these Monster Pro MI cables are cheap compared to them. Having said that, it burns my *ss to pay that much for cables. Any cables. Neither Monster, nor any of the other OEM's, has the replacement guarantee for the non-pro cables to boot. Fortunately, while the instrument cable is NOT cheap ($99 for 12', $149 for 22' in the S-1000 version), the Speakon jobs are $34 and $39 (for 3' and 6' lengths, respectively), only $5 more than their 500-series counterpart (that most retailers sell). I bought ProCo's for 1/3 to 1/2 of that price, and they are warranteed, but the no-questions-asked exchange-on-the-spot policy doesn't exist.

BKBass Barry (Feb COM) makes his own instrument and speaker cables out of bulk Mogami audiophile cabling with great results, but I personally can't be bothered. I want audiophile quality, but I don't wanna work for it, LOL! He has used the precursor to Speakons for years: they're called twistlocks and electricians have been using them for years in outdoor and H-D applications for plug-and-cord connected equipment (AC Mains Power), LOL!

Yes, at this point anyway, I realize EVERYONE is utilizing plastic NEUTRIK Speakons as they seem to be the only manufacturer at this point. I'd like to see PREMIUM connectors, much like what Monster et al has done with XLR's, RCA's, 1/4" plugs, etc. Most music stores STILL don't carry cables with, or spare connectors for, Speakons. Ask about them in a guitar ONLY store, and watch the blank stares that you get, LOL!

Personally, I won't go back to using speaker cables with 1/4" plugs on 'em (EXCEPT in an absolute emergency, LOL!). Speakons are superior in everyway (except price, LOL!). I have 'em on my Eden Bass Amp Rig, and I made sure they were on my new Straub Cutom Guitar Amp Rig...is that a first in the guitar realm? LOL!

While I'm a confirmed Monster BASS cable user, to my ears, the D'Addario Planet Waves cables are equivalent plus . . . . D'Addario seems to price them a little more reasonably than Monster, who just don't seem to have gotten the hang of music store pricing. After all, there's a lot more D'Ad string dealers than Monster dealers, and they're making a whole range of instrument, patch, mic, and speaker cables.

Understood. I already own non-Monster stuff, and its decent BUT they won't exchange it unconditionally. How many cables have you guys tossed over the years? I've bought so many Conquest Sound cables (they used to be among the best available at any price) than I can remember, and they used Belden Cable & Switchcraft Connectors exclusively. I'd rather spend a little more, get the best quality I can, and not have to buy it again.

You probably don't want to hear this either, but why spend close to $10 a foot to drag a cable around when for less than $1 a foot you can go wireless? I just got a Shure wireless UHF system from musiciansfriend.com for $260 (current sale) and I'm very happy with it. The sound is probably better than with my 20' Planet Waves. And I can finally hear what my stack sounds like from a distance.

I've switched most of my stuff from Tara to Monster for this very same reason. Cost and availability. The best thing about Monstet is this: No matter where you are in the country, if you have a bum cable, you can walk into ANY Monster dealer, (every GC is a Monster dealer) even if you didn't buy it from them, without a receipt, and that dealer is supposed to replace that cable. They get resupplied from Monster. Even if you broke the cable, towing your drummers car with it, it's under warranty. That's cool and yes I've done it.

Karl: I have considered wireless, although the added complexity (i.e., additions of multiple points of failure, etc.), cost, and sound quality issues have kept me away in the past. Regardless, I will still need cabling from effects to amp as well as amp to speakers.

Dino: Amen! that's what I'm talking about.

On top of that, I've had good results with Monster M-Series stuff for my Hi-Fi rig. Monster doesn't take engineering chances like some of the other $100/ft PLUS audiophile cables, so their products are not necessarily cutting-edge (or should I say "of the moment"), but neither do you experience those undesirable "incompatibilities" you get with other cables.

Monster is usually very good at listening to requests like this. They will make custom cables for anyone. I emailed Zaolla a while back asking for info on their cables too. I never heard anything back from them

Dino..you towed a car with your cable ? Cool ! I'm so old fashioned, I use a tow strap. But I do have a bunch of old cords..hmmmm For what it's worth, a few months ago I went to everyones favorite..Guitar Center..it was one of their many sales (Bastille day I think), and picked up half a dozen Monster cables, also grabbed a couple sets of strings on sale. Got out the door for about 110$. Sales guy wouldn't discount the cables any further, but he threw the strings in for nothing. (ok I kinda shamed him into it) Oh, the cables were 2 21' instrument cables,3 3' patch cables, and 1 10' speaker cable.

I went to Garbage Center for exactly that purpose...I got stuck with a $100 Gift Certificate for Xmas...and they had.....NOTHING. Not one cable with Speakons, not even crappo stuff. No decent instrument cables, either. I looked at the "on sale" crappo instruments they sell as well. FUGGEDDABOUDDIT! I'm too old and too jaded for their mass-market sales tactics and dearth of decent equipment.

I'm beginning to feel like that classical musica buff old nerd (a la Felix Unger) on the AMEX TV commercial who got the Gift Cert to the PUNK/HR/HM/Death Metal record emporium, LOL!

Garbage Center and Sam's Ass are just not on my wavelengtht anymore it seems.

G.C. and S.A. arent really my favs either. But there is a Sam's ass 5 minutes from work. Surprising, the G.C.'s near me always have tons of cables (and dont forget to checkout the genuine 99$ Les Paul Custom Black Beauty on your way thru the store) Dont worry Kevin..we're all in this together..we're here for ya if you need to talk about it. We'll be your suspenders !

LOL! You guys are my musical psychiatrists, LOL! Hey, I'm all for low prices, but what do Sam's and GC have to do with low price? They've all but eliminated the Mom and Pop stores, yet the prices aren't lower and service is now non-existent. I vote for the elimination of mass-market "stupid" store, er superstores, and the re-emergence of M&P stores with SERVICE (and the ability to dicker over price)!

Gas under a buck ? ! Ok..time for everyone to wake up now. I always liked the M&P stores too, seems I always found some cool/oddball thing never seen anywhere else. The place I ordered my Excel at is kind of like that. Stuff stacked all over, you have to look at everything so's you dont miss anything. The last time there they had a bunch of Mesa diesel cabinets..like 10 of them, 2x10,4x10,1x15,2x15..sorta looked like Mesa had a fire sale. Also had alot of used Bag End cab's,most pa elf cab's. Ahhh..if my wallet were only as large as my eyes !

HA!!!! Sorry 'bout that one Gare. No I didn't tow a car with a Monster cable although that would be a great story huh? I have gone into a GC without any proof of purchase and gotten a new cable though.

Sorry I do not reply to things addressed to me. It is peak season for my company and I have little time for even peeking on here. I read something, mean to answer it, but by the time I have a couple of minutes to answer, I forgot what it was and where it was. Asleep at the wheel? Yup! Sorry.

OK, I e-mailed him. Hey, advertize away. I'm interested. Here is something BayouCables said that I find very interesting:

"I believe the Mogami is 'oxygen free.' That is an overplayed hype phase that cable companies use. It really doesn't make that much difference except for corrosion which does not become a problem for many years and almost never on low power control circuits which is what this is."

I know Butch from another forum, which is stocked with good people. He's one of them, and would be tossed otherwise. When I got my S2, we talked back and forth briefly about a new (purple) cable, but I got mixed up and forgot, I think. Still there, baby? E-mail me, and if all's well I'll vouch.

I bought and returned a Monster guitar cable. It was way too tight and kept horribly twisting up. It sounded good, but it was a total hassle. I'm on my second guitar cable from Butch and I love 'em. Butch's cables sound really clean, look great, and are easy to use.

I ck'ed out Pete Cornish's website and he also offers hand-made "silver signature" instrument and speaker cables that he personally signs (when they pass his min. stds. tests). He gets money on par with Monster SP 1000, but doesn't offer their guarantee. Favorable reviews of his stuff are available on Harmony-Central.com (Guitar effects section).

FYI, Pete is THE custom guitar/bass effects pedalboard/rack system guru for Gilmour, Townshend, May, Sting, etc. and is based in the UK.